Process of tinting fabrics



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

VICTOR G. BLOEDE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN EANCROFT, OF \VILMING'ION, DEIAAYYARE.

PROCESS OF TINTING FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 394,446, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed July 13, 1386. Serial No. 207,931. lSpccimens.)

To all whom it may concern: precipitate or solid color in the presence of Be it known that I, VICTOR G. BLOEDE, a viscous matter. The viscous matter, when citizen of the United States, and a resident of used in conjunction with the precipitation or 55 the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, in the grinding process, seems to have the efhave invented certain new and useful Im- I fect of holding the color particles apart from provements in Processes for Tinting Fabrics oneanother during the process of subdivision, andFibers, of which the following is a full, and also when divided, and preventing the agclear, and exact specification. gregation of them. As a general rule, the 60 Heretofore it has been customary to tint shades used are the result of a mixture of fibers and fabrics by immersing them in a soseveral insoluble compounds in a state of fine lation of soluble coloring-matter, almost alltf subdivision, each prepared by the method which are to a greater or less extent deteriojust described. The difference of specific rated by the action of sunlight and dampness gravity of these elements of a shade will 65 and caused to fade. The principal materials cause them, when suspended in a pure aquewhich can be used for dyeing and which can ous solution and allowed to stand, to separate well withstand the action of the elements 1 and settle more or less and destroy to some without deterioration are the mineral earths, l extent the shade originally prepared. This elements, and most compounds which are ini also is prevented by the employment of vis- 7o soluble in water. I have discovered a method cous matter in the solution, which serves to by which these insoluble compounds which hold up the color and prevent any element of have fast-color properties in the presence of it from settling. both light and water may be used to tint fibers The test of fineness that I have found sucand fabrics, so as to give them a tone of color cessful is the practical one of experimenting and superficial appearance as smooth, clear, from time to time with the color by apply- 2 5 and perfect as can be obtained by the most ing to the fabric it is desired to dyethat is permanent vegetable or organic dyes. to say, by passing a piece of the fabric through I have found that many insoluble colors the color-bath in which the color is suspended.

have the property when in a state of very fine 1 If upon subsequent drying and washing it is subdivision of uniting with or attaching themfound that the color is dislodged to any mate- 30 selves to or permeating a fiber in such a manrial extent, the subdivision of the color is conner as to tint the fiber of a fabric evenly, and tinued and similar experiments are from time in some cases permanently, and to produce a to time made with it until it is found that the product which, so far as physical properties pieces of the fabric are uniformly and perare concerned, is very similar to, if not idenmanently dyed, and the color will not yield 5 tical with, a fabric tinted by the methods of more than is desired to washing.

dyeing where the coloring compound is dis- In making the tests above alluded to care solved, the fabric impregnated with it and must be taken to secure pieces of fabric which then treated with a precipitant. are entirely free from oily matter, and also I find that to accomplish my results in the that the solution in which the color is sus- 0 most satisfactory way it is necessary to repended is an aqueous one, because while for duce my insoluble color to a state of very the complete permeation of a fiber or fabric, great subdivision. I find that the most satisas well as for the permeation and permanent factory method of preparing my color, be fixation of the color, it is necessary to have cause it is the one that gives the most homothe color in a state of subdivision equally 45 geneous and perfect division of the color, fine, still many causessuch as the presence when the nature of the color to be employed of a little oil in the fabric or a little oil in the permits of it, is precipitation of the coloring bath-will often prevent the color from being compound from a dilute solution, either in fast, but not interfere with its complete perpure water or in water mixed with a soluble meation of the fiber. For this reason it is nec- 5o gum. I have also gotten some good results essary to test the color for fastness by supplyby grinding dry color in water and repeating the conditions under which fastness can edly floating it, and also by grinding a dried be accomplished, in order to determine whether the color is in a state sufficiently fine to permeate the fabric.

' The power of completely permeating a fabric and permanently tinting it under suitable conditions, whether employed practically or not, must therefore be the test of the condition of subdivision sufficient for the successful employment of my invention. Some classes of goods,such as window-shades, book-cloths, &c.do not require to be tinted so as to be fast against washing, and they may be prepared by my method in a cheaper and simpler manner than when fast goods are desired-that is to say, the scouring and bleaching of the goods may be dispensed with, for while the presence of some oil will to a greater or less extent interfere with the fixation of the color against washing, it will have no effect in preventing the uniform distribution and penetration of the color upon and into the fabric.

lVhen the color has been reduced to a condition or subdivision sufficiently fine to permeate the interstices of the yarn and attach itself to the fiber, it may be applied to cotton or other fabrics by any of the ordinary forms of dye-machines, which consist of vats and rolls arranged so as to pass the goods to be dyed successively through the dye-liquid and through pressure-rolls to remove the surplus fluid and color.

Some of the color compounds with which I have accomplished satisfactory results are the oxides and other insoluble compounds of iron, chromium, aluminum, silicon, manganese, and other elements, as well as a great variety of other compounds.

In practice I have found that while the foregoing method will give results that are satisfactory as far as fastness is concerned,

when the color is simply suspended in pure water the affinity of the particles of color for one another seems to have the effect of causing them to aggregate into masses and assemble upon the fabric unevenly, giving it a streaky or blotchy appearance. I have succeeded in rectifying this unevenness in the distribution of color by mixing some gummy or viscous matter with the bath in which the color is held in suspension. The gum seems to have the effect of interposing a resisting medium between the particles of color and preventing its irregular aggregation, or, possibly, lubricating its particles so that they will not adhere to one another. By the use of a viscous bath I am able to get a uniform distribution of the coloruponthe fabric. The effect of the viscous material upon the color seems to be exemplified by the fact that when the viscous matter is used with the color the fabric must be dried before it will resist the action of water, for the reason that while the fabric remains WQ'D'flODl the first immersion in the color-bath all or nearly all of the color may be removed by washing, while if the fabric be allowed to dry the viscous matter may then be entirely removed by solvents; but suflicient color will remain fast and permanent to tint the goods, proyided the goods have been prepared previously, in the manner heretofore suggested, to remove all substances that would interfere with the permanence of the tinting, and also that the bath shall not contain such substances. If, however, no viscous matter be used, but the color be simply suspended in water, the goods when once immersed will become permanently dyed, and sufficient color to give a good tint will remain fast, whether the goods be dried or not. It will be observed that the same viscous fluid used in the process of subdividing the color may also serve the purpose of securing its distribution upon the fabric-that is to say, the color mixed with gum as it comes from the hands of the colorpreparer may at once be put into the dye-vat with the addition of nothing but water and be ready for use. It may, however, happen that a color-bath thus mixed will be too thin and would need for some purposesthe addition of more gum to thicken it.

The fabric, after having been tinted by the process just described, is dried by any appropriate method. I usually employ heated'rolls or drums, over which the fabric is passed. When dried, it is finished in any desired manner by starching, callendering, or beetling. If it is desired to make a soft fabric, the goods, after being dried, may be washed to remove the gum, and then finished in any desired manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim by Letters Patent is- 1. The herein-described process of tinting yarns and fabrics with insoluble coloring matter, which consists of subdividing the color until it is fine enough to permeate the interstices of the yarn and attach itself to the individual fibers thereof, then suspending this color in a bath, and passing the yarn or fabric through said bath, as set forth.

2. The herein-described process of tinting yarns and fabrics with insoluble coloringmatter, which consists of subdividing the color until it is fine enough to permeate the interstices of the yarn and attach itself to the individual fibers thereof, then suspending this color in an aqueous bath, and passing the yarn or fabric through said bath, as set forth.

3. The herein-described process of tinting yarns and fabrics with insoluble coloringmatter, which consists of subdividing the color until it is fine enough to permeate the inter- VICTOR G. BLOEDE.

\Vitnesses:

WM. G. OSTENDORF, J OSEPH BROOKS. 

